Ofc. Thomas Allen of the Mobile Police Department checks the license of a driver during a license checkpoint on Friday, April 28, 2006.(File photo)

MOBILE, Alabama -- Mobile police echoed the Baldwin County
Sheriff's Office today on checkpoints. Mobile Police saying that although it's controversial, announcing
where the department holds its checkpoints would make them largely ineffective.

Locations for the checkpoints are chosen based on which
areas have high rates of speeding tickets and public complaints. Sometimes the
department employs "roving" checkpoints, where officers check
licenses and safety features for a few hours before moving to another area.

As for whether social media mavens are saying too much when
they announce where police are stopping cars, Rains said it hurts the campaign,
but it's going to happen.

"It's the same as when someone passes an officer with a
radar gun, and then they flash their lights at oncoming drivers to let them
know there's an officer with a radar gun," Rains said. "We understand
that's going to happen."

Police do a number of checkpoints throughout the year,
especially surrounding holidays like the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve.

What do you think? Vote on our reader poll on this page or check
out our story from Crenshaw County, where readers are weighing in on
whether social media users should reveal the location of roadblocks.

Other law enforcement agencies throughout Alabama have also
weighed in on whether roadblocks should be announced. Check out
those stories here.

What do you think? Vote on our reader poll on this page or
check out our story from Crenshaw County, where readers are weighing in on
whether social media users should reveal the location of roadblocks.

Other law enforcement agencies throughout Alabama have also weighed in on whether roadblocks should be announced. Check out those stories here.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/6769444/"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Should law enforcement reveal the location of checkpoints and roadblocks?&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;